The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1887-01-21
THE OPIUM HABIT.

Last Tuesday | was called out Of bed
about half past four in the morning
to attend another opium case. boy of
sixteen or seventeen who had swallow
ed lot of opium about ten o'clock.
When | got to him he was in the last
stage of the poisoning so that though
| did all knew how for him in the
way of pumping out hi- stomach, Civ
ing him coffee aud hypodermic irjec-
tions of Atropia and performing arti-
fetal breathing, he died about eight
o'clock. | wasn't with him when he
died, very much to my regret. / had
sent about seven o'clock for Mr.. Hal
comb as | knew he would be interested
i'll seeing the case, aud when he came
as the boy seemed to be doing about
as well as he had for several hours, |
told him what to do and came away for
my breakfast, hoping to find the boy
somewhat improved when got back,
but when | saw him again he was dead.
| had had very great hopes we might
save him although he was 80 far gone
when they sent for me, but the poison
had gotten too firm hold on him aud
he was too young TO get oyer it | was
very sorry not to be present when he
died, as they have some interestiu g
ceremonies they perform at that time
In the first place they never allow a
person if they can help it, to die on the
kang inside the room, but move them
out into the entry into which the outer
door opens 50 that when the spirit
leaves it will have no difficulty IN q t.
ting away. Mr.. Halcomb told me that
when the mother of the boy found he
was really dying, she insisted upon
dressing him up in his best clothes
and then CARRYING him out and laying
him in the entry, at the same time talk
ing to him and telling him how she
would miss him aud wailing and weep
ing over him. After they had laid
him out, relative of the mother, who
was with her, (the boys father is over
in Man churia,) went out and bought
some paper money and having made a
paper bag put the money in it, made a
handle of paper, so that it could he
thrown over the shoulders, and then
hung the whole thing near the door at
the bows head to be- used in the Spirit
World Thrn his mother said TO the boy
"Now | have given you money and |
have dressed you up in your best
clothes" and after that imagine she
felt nore comfortable for when got
back about half past nine, q left about
eight she seem d quiet and resigned.
She seemed very anxious not to have
us touch the boy after he was dead,
but of course / went right on and ex-
amined him as much as cared to, to
be sure he was dead. When we came
away she thanked us for our attention
and l think was grateful. Indeed so
far as my experience goes should say
they are really very grateful for any.
thing you may do for them, fully as
much SO as .he class of Dispensary
patients are at home l have been very
agreeably disappointed and pleased in
that respect since | came here. The
other day woman who works for
| NILS cudW duu nun L nave DtcIl
dootoring som", sent her husband oyer
with about forty eggs as present to
me, and day before yesterday another
woman whose little boy had had a sore
finger came with twenty eggs as an
expression OF her appreciation. AT
home it would seem dreadful to me to
see man try to kill himself for such a
slight reason, but here it is different.
These poor people don't seem to think
of its being anything very dreadful,
they do it so thoughtlessly and reck-
lessly. The boy mentioned had tax,
en- the opium because his mother had
given him whipping bscause he had
quarreled with another boy. The last
case, who was stone dead when I got
there, had been worried because his
father expected him to make more
money than he could, so he swallowed
opium. Another man took opium
because his partner in selling land us' d
more money than he OUGHT to.
Extract from DR.. Nears letter.